Tree Wind Generator
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From: Dirk Bruere at NeoPax on 16 Apr 2010 17:34 An idea I've had for years, but never tried and never seen anyone else do it either. Simple idea - capture the energy of a tall tree swaying in the wind. Rough numbers: 200kg force (2kN) through 0.3m every 2 seconds is potentially around 330W. Tie a line to the top of the tree to ground via a spring. Use the movement of the tether to drive a ratchet connected to a generator. Anyone know of anything similar? -- Dirk http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onetribe - Occult Talk Show
From: Tim Williams on 16 Apr 2010 17:40 It would be pretty cool if you put the trees on a merry-go-round. Put up some sort of wind screen so they only sway on the windward side. Instead of 200kg through 0.3m, you get maybe 100kg through 20m/s! Moving/living sculpture projects aside, sway has the advantage of working in place. Can't say I've heard of it before though. Invent it, then market it to nut orchards -- turn the generator around and it doubles as a tree shaker for harvest. :-) Tim -- Deep Friar: a very philosophical monk. Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms "Dirk Bruere at NeoPax" <dirk.bruere(a)gmail.com> wrote in message news:82s3e5F4hrU1(a)mid.individual.net... > An idea I've had for years, but never tried and never seen anyone else do > it either. > Simple idea - capture the energy of a tall tree swaying in the wind. > Rough numbers: 200kg force (2kN) through 0.3m every 2 seconds is > potentially around 330W. > > Tie a line to the top of the tree to ground via a spring. Use the movement > of the tether to drive a ratchet connected to a generator. > > Anyone know of anything similar? > > -- > Dirk > > http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK > http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onetribe - Occult Talk Show
From: Dirk Bruere at NeoPax on 16 Apr 2010 17:52 On 16/04/2010 22:40, Tim Williams wrote: > It would be pretty cool if you put the trees on a merry-go-round. Put up > some sort of wind screen so they only sway on the windward side. Instead of > 200kg through 0.3m, you get maybe 100kg through 20m/s! > > Moving/living sculpture projects aside, sway has the advantage of working in > place. Can't say I've heard of it before though. > > Invent it, then market it to nut orchards -- turn the generator around and > it doubles as a tree shaker for harvest. :-) > > Tim > By attaching two lines at right angles it would not matter which way the wind is blowing. All the material needed are pretty cheap on a per watt basis (as well as absolute) -- Dirk http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onetribe - Occult Talk Show
From: Sjouke Burry on 16 Apr 2010 18:04 Dirk Bruere at NeoPax wrote: > An idea I've had for years, but never tried and never seen anyone else > do it either. > Simple idea - capture the energy of a tall tree swaying in the wind. > Rough numbers: 200kg force (2kN) through 0.3m every 2 seconds is > potentially around 330W. > > Tie a line to the top of the tree to ground via a spring. Use the > movement of the tether to drive a ratchet connected to a generator. > > Anyone know of anything similar? > Wave generator, same principle.
From: John Larkin on 16 Apr 2010 18:47
On Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:34:03 +0100, Dirk Bruere at NeoPax <dirk.bruere(a)gmail.com> wrote: >An idea I've had for years, but never tried and never seen anyone else >do it either. >Simple idea - capture the energy of a tall tree swaying in the wind. >Rough numbers: 200kg force (2kN) through 0.3m every 2 seconds is >potentially around 330W. > >Tie a line to the top of the tree to ground via a spring. Use the >movement of the tether to drive a ratchet connected to a generator. > >Anyone know of anything similar? I wonder if there is a shape of a tower that is fundamantally unstable in the wind, and that would oscillate. A tall flexible cylinder, like a smokestack, can be unstable. I suspect efficiency must be low because the intercepted cross-sectional area is small. All those leaves on a tree help. One could breed trees specifically to convert wind power. Hydraulics as the power pickoff? John |